This summer, our Pacific Islands Regional Office interns partnered with local communities, businesses, and researchers to address critical marine fisheries questions. Their work spanned nearshore gamefish monitoring, loko i'a (Hawaiian fishpond) research, Hawaiian monk seal conservation, and aquaculture permitting.
Check out their key highlights below and dive into their full questions and answers to discover what surprised them most, their biggest takeaways, and where their careers are headed next.
Rachel Anderson
School: University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa
Major(s): Marine Biology
Internship: University of Hawai‘i Marine Option Program
Project: Protected Species Monitoring and Sustainable Aquaculture
Biggest Takeaway:
"Aquaculture is the future of sustainable food production, but it must co-exist safely with protected marine life."
Dash Dicksion
School: University of Washington
Major(s): Aquatic and Fishery Sciences
Internship: NOAA Ernest F. Hollings Scholarship
Project: Nearshore Gamefish Tagging and Recreational Fisheries Engagement
Biggest Takeaway:
"Working with the tagging data 10 years later is a full-circle experience for me, giving me a unique opportunity to take on the project from multiple perspectives: that of a fisheries professional and that of a long-term volunteer."
Kaiya-Amani John
School: University of Hawai'i at Mānoa
Major(s): Marine Biology; Plant Production and Management
Internship: University of Hawai'i Marine Option Program
Project: Protected Species Monitoring and Sustainable Aquaculture
Biggest Takeaway:
"Something that might not seem that important could be someone's whole career and could keep an entire operation running smoothly."
Lily Olmo
School: Oregon State University
Major(s): Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences (Ph.D. Student)
Internship: NOAA Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center Doctoral Fellow
Project: Loko I‘a (Hawaiian Fishpond) Nursery Habitat and Larval Fish Monitoring
Biggest Takeaway:
"Working alongside community partners has shown me what it truly looks like to combine local knowledge and expertise with Western scientific methods ... and the importance of developing ideas with communities that depend on marine resources."
Jamie Ranes
School: Stevens Institute of Technology
Major(s): Engineering Management
Internship: NOAA College-Supported Internship Program
Project: Hawaiʻi Aquaculture Permitting Guide and Outreach Assessment
Biggest Takeaway:
"By working on the aquaculture permitting project, I was able to create an outreach product that makes the permitting process simpler and more condensed [for future applicants]."
